Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman (Click the character infographic to download.) You were probably aching throughout this play to shove a mirror in front of Willy Loman's face and make him take a good, honest look at himself. But even if you tried, it probably wouldn't have worked. He has a lot of potential, but he also has a whopping case of self-deception paired with misguided life goals. A salesman for all of his career, Willy thinks the goal of life is to be well-liked and gain material success. So what happens when he doesn't reach these goals? Total disaster. Willy is a rather insecure guy. He tries to make himself feel better by lying to himself and his family. In his world of delusion, Willy is a hugely successful salesman. He disguises his profound anxiety and self-doubt with extreme arrogance. Periodically unable to maintain this image of strength, Willy despairs and pleads with successful people around him for guidance and support. Despite his efforts, it becomes clear that Willy Loman is not popular, well-liked, or even good at his job. In fact, he never was. In all likelihood, he never will be.

Now an older man, Willy can no longer drive competently, pay his bills, or sell anything. Despite Willy's evident failure to meet his (poorly chosen) life goals, he clings to a fierce belief in the American Dream and the promise that anyone attractive and well-liked can make it big. He has deceived himself his entire life and tries to live vicariously through his unwilling son, Biff. But Biff uncovers Willy's lies when he finds out that Willy has been cheating on Linda. Choosing to alienate his son rather than face reality, and tormented by his failures, Willy spirals downward. Willy's Desire to Escape So let's talk about all these flashbacks. Part of this "downward spiral" we keep talking about has to do with Willy losing a grip on reality and on time. Because his life, by his standards, sucks, Willy escapes into the past and also conveniently gives us, the reader or audience, the background information we need. "Escape" becomes Willy's middle name—not unlike his own father, who abandoned him and his brother when they were young. All this escape business brings us to Willy's mistress.

"The woman" gives Willy everything he needs: an alternate world and an ego-boost. Miller makes sure we are able to understand these reasons for why Willy has the affair. If we, the reader/audience, hated Willy for being a cheating jerk, we wouldn't be so upset at his death. But we don't hate Willy. We don't even call him a cheater. Why? Because we understand the psychology behind his affair. He is simply trying to escape. Willy's Death Which brings us, right on schedule, to the end of the play. As we all know, Willy kills himself. But why? Well, he was clearly still harboring misguided hopes about success for Biff. It seems Willy would rather kill himself than accept the fact that really, honestly, all his son wants is some shirtless sweaty time in Midwestern haystacks. The point is, Willy is still deluded when he kills himself. We all know the money isn't going to be used to start a business. What's sad is that Willy doesn't. That final delusion is almost worse than his death itself. Speaking of this death, let's talk about the title of the play.

Willy was always in pursuit of being the perfect salesman, and before he kills himself he expresses a wish to die "the death of a salesman." So here's the big money question: does he? To answer that, we have to ask ourselves just what does it mean to be a salesman in this play? We know what it means in Willy's mind (if we say "well-liked" one more time…), but Charley brings up an interesting point at the funeral: part of being a salesman is having a dream. Part of being a salesman is about selling yourself. We'll let you take it from there. Willy as Tragic Hero Hamartia If you saw Willy Loman sitting across from you on a bus, you probably wouldn't peg him for a hero. If you got to know him, it would probably seem even less likely. Still, Willy Loman is often thought of as a hero. Of course, he's a particular kind of hero: a tragic hero. The ancient Greeks were the first to write about these doomed souls. Sophocles' Oedipus is the most perfect example—at least according to Aristotle.

But how is slouchy old Willy Loman in any way similar to the heroes of Greek tragedy? Well, dear Shmoopsters, they share a little thing the Greeks liked to call hamartia. This word is often translated as "tragic flaw," but it's more accurately translated as "a missing of the mark" or a "mistake made in ignorance." Just like Oedipus, Willy Loman goes through his life blindly, never realizing the full truth of himself. Willy refuses to admit that he's a failure. You could say that the idea of hamartia is seen in Willy through his delusional personality. Also, like Oedipus and almost all tragic heroes, Willy's hamartia causes his own downfall. In the end, Willy's delusions lead him to take his own life. Anagnorisis According to Aristotle, tragic heroes also have a moment of recognition, or anagnorisis. This is supposed to be a moment where the hero realizes the terrible mistake he's made and usually moans about it a lot. This happens to Oedipus when he realizes that he's inadvertently killed his father and slept with his mother.

(Whoops!) You could argue that Willy has a small realization near the end of the play. He never says it directly, but at some point—probably after Howard fires him—he must realize that he's just never going to succeed in business. If he didn't come to this realization, then he wouldn't decide to kill himself so Biff could use his life insurance money. However, though Willy must make some small realization toward the end of the play, we hesitate to label it as full blown anagnorisis. Willy definitely goes to his death amid a cloud of delusion. Even after Biff totally lays it out for his dad that all he wants to do is be a cowboy or whatever, Willy refuses to understand. The pitiful salesman kills himself, thinking that Biff will use the life insurance money to start a business. It becomes painfully obvious at the funeral that this is totally not going to happen, showing that Willy went to his death without coming to grips with reality. Yes, it seems that, unlike many classical Greek tragic heroes, Willy doesn't have a major anagnorisis. The Common Man Willy is also different from his tragic predecessors because he isn't royalty of any kind.

Yep, Willy is just a salesman. He has no real power in the world, and not too many people really care when he dies. Unlike the legendary and powerful Oedipus, Willy is a nobody. But why would Arthur Miller try to write a tragedy about a total schmuck? Did he not read Aristotle's book or something? Hardly—we're guessing that Miller knew Aristotle's ideas better than we do. It turns out that the fact that Willy is an everyday guy is part of the whole point Miller is trying to make. In Arthur Miller's famous essay, "Tragedy of the Common Man," he states, "I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were." Miller goes on to say that it's not the fact that past tragic heroes have been royal that makes them resonate with modern audiences. It's that fact that they share the same problems as we do today, the same flaws, fears, and hopes. Some critics have said that true tragedy is impossible when your hero is a common man. They say that when an everyday guy goes down, not as many people suffer as they would if it were a king.

OK, sure, but we have a question: is the size of a tragedy really limited to the world of the play? Can't we look into the life of a common man and recognize our own flaws? Can't we see those flaws in society around us? Why can't a common man's life have size and meaning? Miller ends his essay by saying, "It is time, I think, that we who are without kings took up this bright thread of our history and followed it to the only place it can possibly lead in our time—the heart and spirit of the average man." Preach it, Arthur, preach it. "Death of a Salesman": Who is Willy Loman? By Wade Bradford Updated October 17, 2016. "Death of a Salesman " is a non-linear play. It interweaves the protagonist Willy Loman's present (the late 1940s) with his memories of a happier past. Because of Willy's frail mind, the old salesman sometimes doesn't know if he is living in the realm of today or yesterday. Playwright Arthur Miller wants to portray Willy Loman as the Common Man.

This notion contrasts much of Greek theater which sought to tell tragic stories of "great" men. Instead of Greek Gods bestowing a cruel fate upon the protagonist, Willy Loman makes several terrible mistakes that result in a meager, pathetic life. Willy Loman's Childhood Throughout " Death of a Salesman ," details about Willy Loman's infancy and adolescence are not fully divulged. However, during the "memory scene" between Willy and his brother Ben, the audience learns a few bits of information. Willy Loman was born in the late 1870s. (We learn that he is 63 in Act One). His nomadic father and family roamed across the country in a wagon. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States According to Ben, their father was a great inventor, but he doesn't specify what sort of gadgets he created, with the exception of his hand-crafted flutes. Willy remembers being a toddler, sitting around a fire and listening to his father play the flute. It is one of his only memories about his father. Willy's dad left the family when Willy was three years old.

Ben, who seems at least 15 years older than Willy, departed in search for their father. Instead of heading north for Alaska, Ben accidentally went south and found himself in Africa at the age of 17. He made a fortune by the age of 21. Willy never hears from his father again. When he is much older, Ben visits him twice -- in between travel destinations. According to Willy, his mother died "a long time ago," probably sometime after Willy matures into adulthood. Did the lack of a father negatively affect Willy's character? Willy is desperate for his brother Ben to extend his visit. He wants to make certain that his boys are being raised correctly. Aside from being unsure about his parental abilities, Willy is self-conscious about how others perceive him. (He once punched a man for calling him a "walrus"). It could be argued that Willy's character flaws stem from parental abandonment. Willy Loman: A Poor Role Model Sometime during Willy's early adulthood, he meets and marries Linda . They live in Brooklyn and raise two sons, Biff and Happy. As a father, Willy Loman offers his sons terrible advice.

For example, this is what the old salesman tells teenage Biff about women: WILLY: Just wanna be careful with those girls, Biff, that's all. Don't make any promises. No promises of any kind. Because a girl, y'know, they always believe what you tell 'em. This attitude is adopted all too well by his sons. During her son's teen years, Linda notes that Biff is "too rough with the girls." Happy grows up to become a womanizer who sleeps with women who are engaged to his managers. Several times during the play, Happy promises that he is going to get married -- but it is a flimsy lie that no one takes seriously. Willy also condones Biff's thievery. Biff, who eventually develops a compulsion to steal things, swipes a football from his coach's locker room. Instead of disciplining his son about the theft, he laughs about the incident and says, "Coach'll probably congratulate you on your initiative!" Above all things, Willy Loman believes that popularity and charisma will outdo hard work and innovation. Willy Loman's Affair Willy's actions are worse than his words.

Throughout the play, Willy mentions his lonely life on the road. To alleviate his loneliness, he has an affair with a woman that works at one of his client's offices. While Willy and the nameless woman rendezvous in a Boston hotel, Biff pays his father a surprise visit. Once Biff realizes that his father is a "phony little fake," Willy's son becomes ashamed and distant. His father is no longer his hero. After his role model falls from grace, Biff starts to drift from one job to the next, stealing petty things to rebel against authority figures. Willy's Friends and Neighbors Willy Loman belittles his industrious and intelligent neighbors, Charley and his son Bernard. Willy mocks both individuals when Biff is a high school football star, but after Biff becomes a jaded drifter, he turns to his neighbors for help. Charley lends Willy fifty dollars a week, sometimes more, in order to help Willy pay the bills. However, whenever Charley offers Willy a decent job, Willy becomes insulted. He is too proud to accept a job from his rival and friend. It would be an admission of defeat.

Charley might be a surly old man, but Miller has imbued this character with a great deal of pity and compassion. In every scene, we can see that Charley hopes to gently steer Willy onto a less self-destructive path. He tells Willy that it is sometimes best to let go of disappointment. He tries to praise Willy's accomplishments (especially in regards to putting up the ceiling). He doesn't boast or brag about his successful son Bernard. Sensing that Willy is contemplating suicide, Charley tells him, "Nobody's worth nothin' dead." (Perhaps Charley's double-negative confused the salesman!) In their last scene together, Willy confesses: "Charley, you're the only friend I got. Isn't that a remarkable thing." When Willy ultimately commits suicide, it makes the audience wonder why he could not embrace the friendship that he knew existed. Too much guilt? Self-loathing? Pride? Mental instability? Too much of a coldhearted business world? The motivation of Willy's final action is open to interpretation. What do you think? Example Essays: Death Of A Salesman Family Willy Loman 1.

Death of Sales Man - Willy Loman At the very outset of my essay, I will you to get to know Willy Loman. ... He"s sixty-three years old and is the salesman around whom this play "Death of a SalesmanaE is constructed. Willy Loman is a traveling salesman who grew up inspired by the success of his salesman father, who left his family for Alaska. ... But in fact, there are two Willy Lomans in the play. ... Willy, in real life, is tired and defeated by his bad job-career and difficult family life. ... Word Count: 619 2. Willy Loman as a tragic hero in death of a salesman Willy as Tragic Hero in Death of a Salesman Death of a Salesman is the story of Willy Loman, a middle-class salesman who, in the course of a single day, comes to realise that the American Dream, which he has pursued for 40 years, has failed him. ... In Death of a Salesman, Miller is not so much calling into question the pursuit of the American Dream, but the dream itself. ... There are other flaws in Willy Loman that lead to his demise. ...

Willy Loman despite his desperate searching through his past Willy does not achieve the self-realisation or self-knowledge typical of the tragic ... Word Count: 1421 3. Death of a Salesman: Willy Willy"s Useless Advice About SuccessArthur Miller"s Death of a Salesman is a play that illustrates a family that lives in a dream world but ultimately comes into reality. ... Eventually, the Lomans understand that their family is average with common problems such as financial instability, marital troubles, and character flaws.Willy Loman, husband and the father of two sons, is a sixty-year-old, insecure traveling salesman. ... Ben, Willy"s recently deceased older brother, is the wealthy and most significant idol in the salesman"s life. ... Using Loman as an example, the salesman never accom... Word Count: 597 4.

Willy loman: a tragic hero In Arthur Miller"s drama, Death of a Salesman, the protagonist and tragic hero, Willy Loman, although somewhat corrupted by material desires, is a man with good morals and noble qualities, but possesses a tragic flaw, which sees him to his inevitable downfallThough a seemingly unsuccessful and emotionally unstable character, Willy Loman has good noble qualities, a characteristic of a tragic hero. ... Ironically enough, Miller"s title of this work, Death of a Salesman, taunts Willy"s desire to become successful. ... aE In this conversation with Ben, taking place in Willy"s mind, Willy tel... Word Count: 608 5. death of a salesman In the play, Death of a Salesman, the character Willy Loman portrays the role of atraveling salesman who feels insecure about his persona. ... Since Willy has a low self-esteem, it affects his family lifeand his role as the head of a household. In Death of a Salesman, the theme of the "American DreamaE is to have the idealfamily, be successful, and well-liked. ...

Loman"s personality affects his family life because they might feel that they can"tdo better in life being that they"ve had the example of failure in their family. ... Biff Loman was Willy"s pride and joy, mainlybecause he was ... Word Count: 512 6. Willy Loman Has good qualities In Arthur Miller"s classic Death of a Salesman Willy Loman is a traveling salesman who has worked for the Wagner Company for thirty-four years. ... He loved his family and worked very hard for them, he is what we look at as a person trying to achieve the "American Dream.aEWilly Loman is a middle-class man making a middle-class wage living in a middle-class society. ... It is the death of the dreams that Willy had. ... Another death in the book is when Willy"s son Biff tells him that..."... (pg132)aEThat is the death of Willy"s dream of his son Biff, the football star, the shinin... Word Count: 992 7.

dream in death of a salesman Dreams in Death of a Salesman Within the tragic play, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman destroys himself trying to achieve a dream. ... Willy Loman does not choose this destructive dream because he does not know himself, Willy Loman does not choose a dream at all, one is forced upon him by society. Willy Loman spends the expanse of the play trying to achieve wealth, fame, and the like of others. ... In the climax of the play, when Willy realizes that he is loved by his sons, a slight awakening occurs in Willy's mind. ... Willy comprehends that he has been denying his son of the dream that... Word Count: 477 8. Biff Loman - Death of a Salesman Every man dreams great things for themselves and their family. In Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman is no exception. He was a salesman with two boys and a loving wife. ... Many people would consider Willy Loman a successful man. He had a job, house, and could provide for his family. ... Word Count: 784 9.

In Search of a Dream Lost - The Tragedy of Willy Loman Arthur Miller"s, Death of a Salesman, is a tragic example of a battle, fought by the protagonist Willy Loman, between reality and illusions perpetuated by his pursuit of the American Dream, success. Death of a Salesman was written in 1949 at the dawn of a new era spawned by the ending of World War II in 1945. ... Willy Loman is a 60 year traveling salesman who was employed by the Wagner firm for 34 years. ... Ben was the epitome of success and of lost opportunity for Willy Loman. ... Willy Loman tragically drives to his death in pursuit of the reward, a twenty thousand dollar life insuranc... Word Count: 939 10. Marxist Perspective: Death of a Salesman The major theme in Death of a Salesman was the pursuit of this dream. ... Arthur Miller"s depiction of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman was written in postwar America. ... In the play, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is a perfect example of someone who is trying to pursue this dream. ...

Willy Loman"s life is far from happy and successful.The idea of the American Dream is to have a house, car, and a family. ... First, his death will benefit the family by leaving Linda financially secure. ... Word Count: 1921 11. Death of a Salesman Response #1 on "Death of a SalesmanaEIn Arthur Miller"s play "Death of a SalesmanaE, we are introduced to Willy Loman, as a salesman in his sixties with his wife, Linda Loman. As we read from the opening of the play, we learn a lot about the two characters and their issues.Willy Loman is a sixty-year-old man who has issues based on his family, work, and his mental and physical health. ... "I"m tired to the death. ... Willy is also having issues with his family. ... This family is surrounded by issues that might cause more issues to come in the future part of the story.... Word Count: 727 12. Willy lohman Arthur Miller chooses to portray society's prejudice against the protagonist, Willy Loman, in his play, Death of a Salesman. ...

A second occurrence that displayed Willy's alienation happened in his own family. ... Willy Loman wants to be the best at anything, particularly selling and being a provider for his family. ... Willy Loman was no exception to this. ... All of the actions that alienated Willy Loman validate the prejudice and bias of society.... Word Count: 887 13. Willy Loman - Death of a Salesman In Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," Willy Loman struggles to find success and be the role model that his sons look up to him as. ... Within Jonathan Witt's "Song of the Unsung Antihero: How Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Flatters Us", he expresses that Willy is over exaggerated and should not be considered by the audience as an anti-hero. ... Witt explains that "Miller himself has created a very big ad for the dysfunctional Willy Loman and its effect is not altogether unlike the effect of the Hastings refrigerator ad on Willy Loman " (Witt 213). ... Witt, though, m... Word Count: 1301 15.

Willy Loman in The death of a Salesman Willy Loman to this day is one of the hardest characters for an actor to act out in a play. ... Although he understands the whole profession of being a salesman (where they use you up and spit you out), he fails to realize his personal failure and betrayal of his soul and family through the constructed deception of his life. ... Additionally, a salesman must sell his or her personality as much as his or her product. Willy Loman falsely believes he needs nothing more than to be well liked to make it big. ... No one is present at Willy Loman's funeral. ... Word Count: 532 16. Death of a Salesman In Arthur Miller"s play, Death of a Salesman, the Loman family is incapable of facing reality. ... Willy, an old, traveling salesman, is nostalgic for the past. ... Willy does not realize that he is aging and that he is not as good of a salesman as he used to be. ... Willy is depressed because his family is only average. ... In the first scene of the novel, Willy explains, "Biff Loman is lost. ... Word Count: 842 17.

Death of a Salesman Willy Loman, the main character in Death of a Salesman is a complex and fascinating tragic character. ... The aptly named Happy continues to believe in these ideals even after his father's death and decides that the Loman name will succeed. In 1949, shortly after the play's premiere, Miller wrote a controversial essay about how Death of a Salesman was a true tragedy, only with common people rather than kings. ... However, it is this false pride has been sparking the family flame for years, the notion that the Loman name was well known and well-liked. ... His foolish pride, bad ... Word Count: 1139 18. Themes in Death of a Salesman Death of a Salesman, the 1949 play by Arthur Miller, develops the ideas of conformity, popularity and materialism through repeating and contrasting elements. ... Willy Loman carried false hope throughout his life. ... During the 1940's when Miller wrote Death of a Salesman these values were very prominent during this time. ... Something that Miller portrayed very well through Death of a Salesman was the fact that acceptance is more important in life compared to popularity. ...

Death of a Salesman conveys Millers intricate ideas of conformity, popularity and materialism. ... Word Count: 1312 19. Dreams in Death of a Salesman Within the tragic play, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman destroys himself trying to achieve a dream. ... Willy Loman does not choose this destructive dream because he does not know himself, Willy Loman does not choose a dream at all, one is forced upon him by society. Willy Loman spends the expanse of the play trying to achieve wealth, fame, and the like of others. ... In the climax of the play, when Willy realizes that he is loved by his sons, a slight awakening occurs in Willy's mind. ... Willy comprehends that he has been denying his son of the dream that he wishes to achieve, and out... Word Count: 481 20. Death of A Salesman Death of a Salesman, The Inside LookThe film Death of A Salesman is directed by Volker Schlondorff, 1986.Death of a Salesman can be perceived as a drama of the common man being defeated by society.

The story is told partly through the mind and memory of Willy Loman. ... I will use these three codes to divulge deeper into what you get from the film experience of Death of a Salesman. I see the story below the surface of Death of a Salesman, as the ongoing struggle to conquer the American dream, fame, fortune and family. ... Willy Loman leaves just the way he came in. ... Word Count: 1731 21. willy loman's dream In the play, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman is like many people today. ... Willy Loman is also a hard worker who does not achieve his dream of becoming rich. ... For example, the other workers do not accept Willy Loman at his workplace. ... Willy Loman states:I"m fat. ... In conclusion, Willy Loman tries his best to gain wealth. ... Word Count: 840 22. Death Of A Salesman In the stories "Death of A Salesman,aE and "A Doll"s House,aE there are many similarities. ...

The characters I picked were Willy Loman from "Death of A Salesman,aE and Torvald Helmer of "A Doll"s House.aE I picked these characters because of their motivation to make it to become successful. ... The story "Death of A Salesman,aE comes with the symbolic meaning of the death of an "American Dream,aE or the ridding of illusion as it applies to the American Dream. ... Willy Loman a salesman and a firm believer in the "American Dream,aE had the notion th... Word Count: 774 23. Death of a Salesman and the American Dream How can Death of a Salesman be interpreted as a critique of the American Dream? ... In his play "Death of a Salesman," Arthur Miller criticizes the concept of the American Dream in regard to the failure it causes the life of the Lomans' family to become. ... In his play "Death of a Salesman," Arthur Miller chooses Willy Loman as a symbol for all the believers of the American Dream. ... Lying is a very important element of the life of the Loman family. ...

Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" is considered one of the best plays in the American Literature. ... Word Count: 1632 24. death of salesman In the play, " Death of a Salesman" , Arthur Miller depicts a typical dysfunctional family. ... Willy Loman is a salesman who after thirty-four years of being on the road, is slowly starting to deteriorate physically as well as mentally. Upon his being fired, Willy tries to understand why he has failed as a salesman, a father, and as a husband. ... Lack of respect for each other is another reason why the Lomans are a dysfunctional family. ... This is an obvious form of dysfunction in the Loman family. ... Word Count: 1181 25. Death of a Salesman Death of a SalesmanBy Arthur MillerThe Good LifeEvery man dreams great things for themselves and their family. In Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman is no exception. He was a salesman with two boys and a loving wife. ... Many people would consider Willy Loman a successful man. He had a job, house, and could provide for his family. ...

Word Count: 745 Death of a Salesman Characters | GradeSaver Buy Study Guide Willy Loman A sixty year old salesman living in Brooklyn, Willy Loman is a gregarious, mercurial man with powerful aspirations to success. However, after thirty-five years working as a traveling salesman throughout New England, Willy Loman feels defeated by his lack of success and difficult family life. Although he has a dutiful wife, his relationship with his oldest son, Biff, is strained by Biff's continual failures. As a salesman, Willy Loman focuses on personal details over actual measures of success, believing that it is personality and not high returns that garner success in the business world. Biff Loman The thirty-four year old son of Willy Loman, Biff was once a star high school athlete with a scholarship to UVA. But he never attended college nor graduated from high school, after refusing to attend summer school to make up a flunked math class. He did this primarily out of spite after finding out that his father was having an affair with a woman in Boston. Since then, Biff has been a continual failure, stealing at every job and even spending time in jail.

Despite his failures and anger toward his father, Biff still has great concern for what his father thinks of him, and the conflict between the two characters drives the narrative of the play. Linda Loman The dutiful, obedient wife to Willy and mother of Biff and Happy, Linda Loman is the one person who supports Willy Loman, despite his often reprehensible treatment of her. She is a woman who has aged greatly because of her difficult life with her husband, whose hallucinations and erratic behavior she contends with alone. She is the moral center of the play, occasionally stern and not afraid to confront her sons about their poor treatment of their father. Happy Loman The younger of the two Loman sons, Happy Loman is seemingly content and successful, with a steady career and none of the obvious marks of failure that his older brother displays. Happy, however, is not content with his more stable life, because he has never risked failure or striven for any real measure of success. Happy is a compulsive womanizer who treats women purely as sex objects and has little respect for the many women whom he seduces.

Charley The Lomans' next door neighbor and father of Bernard, Charley is a good businessman, exemplifying the success that Willy is unable to achieve. Although Willy claims that Charley is a man who is "liked, but not well-liked," he owns his own business and is respected and admired. He and Willy have a contentious relationship, but Charley is nevertheless Willy's only friend. Bernard Bernard is Charley's only son. He is intelligent and industrious but lacks the gregarious personality of either of the Loman sons. It is this absence of spirit that makes Willy believe that Bernard will never be a true success in the business world, but Bernard proves himself to be far more successful than Willy imagined. As a grown-up, he is a lawyer preparing to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court. Ben Willy's older brother, Ben left home at seventeen to find their father in Alaska, but ended up in Africa, where he found diamond mines and came out of the jungle at twenty-one an incredibly rich man. Although Ben died several weeks before the time at which the play is set, he often appears in Willy's hallucinations, carrying a valise and umbrella.

Ben represents the fantastic success for which Willy has always hoped but can never seem to achieve. Howard Wagner The thirty-six year old son of Frank Wagner, Willy Loman's former boss, Howard now occupies the same position as his late father. Although Willy was the one who named Howard, Howard is forced to fire Willy for his erratic behavior. Howard is preoccupied with technology; when Willy meets with his new boss, he spends most of the meeting demonstrating his new wire recorder. Stanley Stanley is the waiter at the restaurant where Willy meets his sons. He helps Willy home after Biff and Happy leave their father there. The Woman An assistant in a company in Boston with which Willy does business, this nameless character has a continuing affair with Willy. The Woman claims that Willy ruined her and did not live up to his promises to her. When Biff finds the Woman in Willy's hotel room, he begins his course of self-destructive behavior. Miss Forsythe An attractive young woman at the restaurant, who serves the play by allowing Happy to demonstrate his womanizing and seduction habits.

Review: DEATH OF A SALESMAN Review: DEATH OF A SALESMAN Updated: October 25, 2014 â 7:33 PM EDT By Toby Zinman For the Inquirer In his memoir, Timebends, Arthur Miller writes of his first marriage to Mary Slattery: "There was a deep shadow then over intermarriage between Jews and gentiles,....I was struggling to identify myself with mankind rather than one small tribal fraction of it." And so Willy Loman was Everyman, not EveryJew. Until now. Under Lane Savadove's direction, EgoPo's passionate production of Miller's iconic play, Death of a Salesman, reimagines the Lomans as a Jewish family. The production starts with sitting shiva after Willy's suicide, making the entire play a backward glance. Savadove treats the play as autobiographical, assuming Biff (Sean Lally), Willy's oldest son, is the playwright's avatar.

The audience response on opening night bore this out: suddenly Death of a Salesman was a young man's play: the knowing laughter and the tearful sniffing of the young men watching testified to a shift away from Willy (Ed Swidey) to Biff as the central character. Biff's brother Happy (Kevin Chick), is determined to carry on his father's values, refusing to see them as dire moral errors. The casting of Biff and Happy is interesting; they look like boys, not like men, certainly not like "Adonises," and this nicely underscores both their arrested development and Willy's unrealistic view of them. Linda (Mary Lee Bednarek), the long-suffering wife who stands by her overbearing and tormented man, is here less a dishrag than Linda often is. That she and Willy love—and desire--each other is evident. But since this production is framed by Linda—first at the shiva, then at the end, the "Requiem" in the cemetery-- she has more power in this version.

This is one of several troubling aspects of the director's concept: "The play is thus Linda's flashback as she struggles, along with us the audience, to understand the cause of Willy's death." But this means that Linda knew about Willy's Boston dalliances, the stockings, and Charlie's weekly cash donations to the household, as well as all the scenes with Ben that take place in Willy's mind. It also reveals her memory to be guilt-free even after her husband's suicide. The rabbi is played by Russ Widdall who is very impressive in his multiple roles as Willy's boss Howard, the kind waiter Stanley, and Willy's brother Ben (but why does Ben speaks with an accent—not really Yiddish, not quite Eastern European?). Accents are something of a problem throughout, since Willy's New York accent wanders into something vaguely Southern. Puzzling, too, is Willy's beard, making him look more like a Talmudic scholar than a salesman who wants to be "well liked" in New England in mid-century. But Swidey's intense performance makes it clear that the entire play is a record of Willy's disintegration, and his breakdown in the restaurant scene is very moving.

Another question is why African American actors play the Lomans' neighbors Charlie (Steven Wright) and his son Bernard (Derrick L. Millard II). Surely in 1948, this friendship would have been remarked upon, not to mention the way many working-class Jews felt about "schwartzes." And in 1948, Jews in America were haunted by the Holocaust and fearful about anti-semitism; Miller's own ambivalence, even in his overtly Jewish works--Focus, After the Fall, Broken Glass—is complex, so what is gained by this emphasis on the Lomans as Jews is unclear. ========== EgoPo Classic Theater @ the Latvian Society, 7th & Spring Garden Sts. Through Nov.9. Tickets $25. Information: 267-273-1414 or egopo.org Published: Examine the relationship between Willy and his sons in "Death of a Salesman" - A-Level English - Marked by Teachers.com Examine the relationship between Willy and his sons in &quot;Death of a Salesman&quot; Extracts from this document...

Introduction Examine the relationship between Willy and his sons in "Death of a Salesman" At the beginning of the play, both Biff and Happy regard their father as a great man, a man to look up to, and a man to respect. To the boys he was seen as an ideal father, as he was never present to discipline the two and he was eager for them both, Biff in particular, to fulfil their potential and become great men However, as the play progresses, the idealistic image of Willy Loman seems to evaporate through the test of time, and at the end of the play a sad image of Willy Loman is painted with Biff claiming that his father is no more "than a dime a dozen", just like himself. As a teenager, Biff worshipped his father, but by the end of the play he sees him as nothing more than a pretender and a compulsive liar, whose deceit and inflated expectations of his elder son has hampered any opportunity Biff had of being himself and ever telling the truth.

Biff is left angered and confused when he discovers that his father has been cheating on his faithful mother and in a poignant confrontation with his father he shatters Willy's dreams and insists that they: "...never told the truth in (this) house for ten minutes". ...read more. Middle Willy Loman was a salesman first and a father second. Often absent from his home, he neglected his parental duties and lacked discipline. He allowed his sons to do as they wished, this it seems, contributed to the boys' failure in life. As Biff himself said: "I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air, I could never stand taking orders from anybody!" Willy neglected to instil any sense of integrity or morality in the boys, he even encouraged them to steal, and simply laughs when he discovers that Biff has stolen a football, and claims that the coach will probably "congratulate you [Biff] on your initiative." With Willy as a role model, how could the boys ever expect to make something of their lives? Willy believed that success came from being well liked and preached this to his sons; he insisted that because their neighbour Bernard, was not well liked, he would not succeed in life.

However, when Willy runs into Bernard as an adult, Bernard is a successful lawyer who is arguing a case before the Supreme Court, whilst Biff, who was well liked, is nothing more than a "lazy bum", in Willy's eyes. Throughout the play, Willy is in confrontation with one thing: failure. At first he is a failure because his business is slowing down and he is losing popularity. ...read more. Conclusion All things considered, it is fair to say that the relationship between Willy Loman and his sons is a complex one. Biff was the favoured son of Willy, whilst Happy was more similar to his father than Biff. Happy could see no wrong in Willy throughout, and vowed to fight his father's dream, where as the elder son, Biff could see his father's shortcomings. Their relationship with their mother was something very different to the one with their father, who they wanted to continually impress The deterioration of Willy's state of mind and mental health plays a key role in the deterioration of the relationship between Willy and Biff, on which the play's internal conflict is based. As the play progresses, Happy's faith in his father strengthens, and he is inspired by his father's "fight".

Whereas Biff's feelings towards his father are mixed. He loves his father, but no longer respects him; Biff believes that it is his father's fault that Biff is in a dead end job with no prospects for a better future and finds it almost impossible to forgive him for having an affair. Willy Loman wanted his children to be "great", this was his last hope in life, but it is fair to say that he wasn't a good father. Although his heart was in the right place, his method of upbringing the boys can only be seen as a sign of a confused and deluded man, who commited the ultimate sacrifice to be well liked: suicide. Thomas Morris Words: 1460 ...read more. The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level Arthur Miller section. Found what you're looking for? Start learning 29% faster today 150,000+ documents available SparkNotes: Death of a Salesman: Character List Death of a Salesman Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Willy Loman - An insecure, self-deluded traveling salesman.

Willy believes wholeheartedly in the American Dream of easy success and wealth, but he never achieves it. Nor do his sons fulfill his hope that they will succeed where he has failed. When Willy’s illusions begin to fail under the pressing realities of his life, his mental health begins to unravel. The overwhelming tensions caused by this disparity, as well as those caused by the societal imperatives that drive Willy, form the essential conflict of Death of a Salesman. Read an in-depth analysis of Willy Loman. Biff Loman - Willy’s thirty-four-year-old elder son. Biff led a charmed life in high school as a football star with scholarship prospects, good male friends, and fawning female admirers. He failed math, however, and did not have enough credits to graduate. Since then, his kleptomania has gotten him fired from every job that he has held. Biff represents Willy’s vulnerable, poetic, tragic side. He cannot ignore his instincts, which tell him to abandon Willy’s paralyzing dreams and move out West to work with his hands. He ultimately fails to reconcile his life with Willy’s expectations of him. Read an in-depth analysis of Biff Loman.

Linda Loman - Willy’s loyal, loving wife. Linda suffers through Willy’s grandiose dreams and self-delusions. Occasionally, she seems to be taken in by Willy’s self-deluded hopes for future glory and success, but at other times, she seems far more realistic and less fragile than her husband. She has nurtured the family through all of Willy’s misguided attempts at success, and her emotional strength and perseverance support Willy until his collapse. Read an in-depth analysis of Linda Loman. Happy Loman - Willy’s thirty-two-year-old younger son. Happy has lived in Biff’s shadow all of his life, but he compensates by nurturing his relentless sex drive and professional ambition. Happy represents Willy’s sense of self-importance, ambition, and blind servitude to societal expectations. Although he works as an assistant to an assistant buyer in a department store, Happy presents himself as supremely important. Additionally, he practices bad business ethics and sleeps with the girlfriends of his superiors. Read an in-depth analysis of Happy Loman. Charley - Willy’s next-door neighbor. Charley owns a successful business and his son, Bernard, is a wealthy, important lawyer.

Willy is jealous of Charley’s success. Charley gives Willy money to pay his bills, and Willy reveals at one point, choking back tears, that Charley is his only friend. Read an in-depth analysis of Charley. Bernard - Bernard is Charley’s son and an important, successful lawyer. Although Willy used to mock Bernard for studying hard, Bernard always loved Willy’s sons dearly and regarded Biff as a hero. Bernard’s success is difficult for Willy to accept because his own sons’ lives do not measure up. Ben - Willy’s wealthy older brother. Ben has recently died and appears only in Willy’s “daydreams.” Willy regards Ben as a symbol of the success that he so desperately craves for himself and his sons. The Woman - Willy’s mistress when Happy and Biff were in high school. The Woman’s attention and admiration boost Willy’s fragile ego. When Biff catches Willy in his hotel room with The Woman, he loses faith in his father, and his dream of passing math and going to college dies. Howard Wagner - Willy’s boss.

Howard inherited the company from his father, whom Willy regarded as “a masterful man” and “a prince.” Though much younger than Willy, Howard treats Willy with condescension and eventually fires him, despite Willy’s wounded assertions that he named Howard at his birth. Stanley - A waiter at Frank’s Chop House. Stanley and Happy seem to be friends, or at least acquaintances, and they banter about and ogle Miss Forsythe together before Biff and Willy arrive at the restaurant. Miss Forsythe and Letta - Two young women whom Happy and Biff meet at Frank’s Chop House. It seems likely that Miss Forsythe and Letta are prostitutes, judging from Happy’s repeated comments about their moral character and the fact that they are “on call.” Jenny - Charley’s secretary. Willy Loman Willy Loman Bookmark this page Manage My Reading List Death of a Salesman is Willy's play. Everything revolves around his actions during the last 24 hours of his life. All of the characters act in response to Willy, whether in the present or in Willy's recollection of the past. Willy's character, emotions, motivations, and destiny are developed through his interactions with others.

The problem arises, however, because Willy reacts to characters in the present, while simultaneously responding to different characters and different situations in the past. The result is Willy's trademark behavior: contradictory, somewhat angry, and often obsessive. Willy is an individual who craves attention and is governed by a desire for success. He constantly refers to his older brother Ben, who made a fortune in diamond mining in Africa, because he represents all the things Willy desires for himself and his sons. Willy is forced to work for Howard, the son of his old boss, who fails to appreciate Willy's previous sales experience and expertise. Ben, on the other hand, simply abandoned the city, explored the American and African continents, and went to work for himself. As a result, after four years in the jungle, Ben was a rich man at the age of 21, while Willy must struggle to convince Howard to let him work in New York for a reduced salary after working for the company for 34 years. Willy does not envy Ben, but looks to him as model of success.

The play begins and ends in the present, and the plot occurs during the last two days of Willy's life; however, a large portion of the play consists of Willy's fragmented memories, recollections, and re-creations of the past, which are spliced in between scenes taking place in the present. Willy not only remembers an event but also relives it, engaging himself in the situation as if it is happening for the first time. As the play progresses, Willy becomes more irrational and is not able to transition between his memory of the past and the reality of the present. Willy's memories are key to understanding his character. He carefully selects memories or re-creates past events in order to devise situations in which he is successful or to justify his current lack of prosperity. For example, Willy recalls Ben and the job he offered to Willy after being fired by Howard. Willy is unable to cope with the idea that he has failed, so he relives Ben's visit. The memory allows Willy to deny the truth and its consequences — facing Linda and the boys after being fired — and to establish temporary order in his disrupted life.

At other times, Willy proudly recalls memories of Biff's last football game because it is more pleasant to re-create the past in which Biff adored him and wanted to score a touchdown in his name, rather than face the present where he is at odds with his own son. Willy's constant movement from the present to the past results in his contradictory nature. Although he fondly remembers Biff as a teenager, he is unable to communicate with Biff in the present. As a result, he praises Biff in one breath, while criticizing him in the next. The cause of Willy's inconsistent behavior is his unbidden memories of a long-ago affair, which he forgets or chooses not to remember until the end of Act II. It is difficult enough for Willy to deal with Howard, his buyers (or lack of buyers), and the everyday reminders that he is not a great salesman like Dave Singleman; however, it is even more insufferable for Willy to accept the idea that he is a failure in his son's eyes. Prior to the Boston trip, Biff, more than anyone, sincerely believes in Willy's success, potential, and inevitable greatness.

Willy is able to achieve the success and notoriety he desires only through Biff, but this changes when Biff learns of the affair. After the Boston trip, Willy tries to regain the success he once had by focusing on memories or events prior to the discovery of the affair. It is not surprising that Willy contradicts himself when speaking in the present about Biff or to him, for although Willy chooses to remember Biff as he used to be, he cannot eradicate the words Biff spoke to him in Boston: "You fake! You phony little fake!" Willy perceives himself as a failure: He is not Dave Singleman. He is just a mediocre salesman who has only made monumental sales in his imagination. Now that he is growing old and less productive, the company he helped to build fires him. He regrets being unfaithful to his wife, even though he will never admit the affair to her. He is no longer a respectable man in Biff's eyes. Biff recognizes Willy's tendency to exaggerate or reconstruct reality and is no longer a willing participant in Willy's fantasy.

By the end of the play, Willy is overwhelmed; he can no longer deny his failures when they become too many to deal with. Instead, he seeks a solution in suicide. Willy reasons he can finally be a success because his life insurance policy will in some way compensate Linda for his affair. Additionally, Biff will consider him a martyr and respect him after witnessing the large funeral and many mourners Willy is sure will attend. Death of a Salesman: Death of a Salesman Character List | Play Summary & Study Guide | CliffsNotes Bookmark this page Manage My Reading List Willy Loman An aging salesman. He suffers from depression and anxiety as a result of his dissipating career, his estranged relationship with his oldest son, Biff, and his guilt over an extramarital affair. As the play progresses, Willy loses the ability to distinguish between the present and his memories of the past. Linda Loman Willy Loman's wife. She is Willy's champion and takes it upon herself to reconcile her family. She will protect Willy at all costs, even if she must perpetuate his fantasies and deny his suicidal behavior. Biff Loman The Lomans' older son.

Biff has been estranged from Willy for over 15 years, during which time he has not been able to hold a steady job. Biff is the only member of the family who knows about Willy's affair, and he resents his father bitterly. Happy Loman The Lomans' younger son. Happy is a womanizer driven by his sexuality. He works as an assistant but exaggerates his position and his authority. Uncle Ben Willy's older brother. He made a fortune in the African jungle by the time he was 21 years old. He once offered Willy a job in Alaska. Ben appears in the play only in Willy's memories and fantasies. Charley A long-time acquaintance of the Lomans. Charley supplies Willy with a weekly loan once Willy is put on straight commission, and he repeatedly offers him a job. Charlie is a true friend to Willy, even though Willy is jealous of him. Charley appears in Willy's memories, as well as in the actions of the present. Bernard Charley's son.

He provided Biff with answers while they were in high school and attempted to help Biff study so that he would graduate, even though Willy and Biff would criticize him. He is a successful lawyer. Bernard appears in Willy's memories, as well as in the present. The Woman Willy's former lover, with whom he had an affair many years ago in Boston. Biff discovered the affair when she came out of the bathroom while he was in the room. She appears only in Willy's memories and fantasies; however, as the play progresses, Willy has difficulty distinguishing between his memories of the Woman and his memories of Linda. Howard Wagner Willy's current boss. He put Willy on straight commission prior to the play's beginning, and later he fires him. Howard is a businessman, unaffected by the facts that Willy worked for his father and named him as a child. Jenny Charley's secretary. Death of a Salesman Quotes and Analysis | GradeSaver Death of a Salesman Quotes and Analysis I'm the New England man. I'm vital in New England. Willy Loman, Act I Willy's self-definition is centered around his career.

He isn't the man who does sales for New England - he's the New England man. He believes himself to be vital to the company, but in reality it's the company that's vital to him and his feelings of self worth. When he discovers that he isn't vital anywhere, his worldview crumbles. He's liked, but not well-liked. Biff, referring to Bernard. Act I Willy's recipe for success is based entirely around a cult of personality. Most people are liked by their friends and acquaintances. But only great men, according to Willy, are truly well-liked - and that is what brings them success. In this quote, we see that Willy's belief in personal connections has been transferred to his sons as well, as they dismiss their friend Bernard for only garden-variety likability. The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he's rich! Willy, regarding Ben. Act I This is a principal refrain for Ben. Although Willy is the first one to use this line, Ben repeats it many times throughout the play, making it clear that Ben is only a figment of Willy's imagination.

He does not speak normal words, but is the personification of a symbol - Willy has attached all his ideas of success and worth to the abstract concept of his brother Ben, whether Ben merited it or not. I don't say he's a great man. Willie Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He's not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person. Linda, regarding Willy. Act I This is the play's direct cry to human dignity. The thesis of Linda's speech - and of Salesman as a whole - is that all men deserve respect and attention. No human being is disposable. No man should die without feeling he mattered. You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away - a man is not a piece of fruit. Willy, act II This is Willy's articulation of Linda's "attention must be paid" speech. But Willy's appeal is not for some abstraction of attention or dignity.

He is arguing directly to his employer that there must be responsibility taken for employees. Willy gave his youth to the company, and now the company must take care of him. After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive. Willy, Act II Willy is bemoaning the worthlessness of all his years of work. He never earned enough to save anything, and he didn't build, and he didn't grow, and now that his job is done he has nothing left. He was a subsistence worker. It is this realization - along with the realization that he has a life insurance policy with a large premium - that drives him to suicide. I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been. Biff, act II This is Biff coming to terms with the fact that his father's illusions of success for him were truly just illusions and nothing more. Biff has spent his life trying to live up to - or react against - an impossible falsehood and a vision of himself that never existed. Willy's illusions about success impacted every part of his sons' lives. I've got to get some seeds. I've got to get some seeds, right away.

Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground. Willy, act II Willy realizes that his whole career has built up to nothing. He worked for 40 years and has nothing to show for it. This leads to his obsession with seeds late in the play - it is too late to grow anything for his sons, but at least he can plant some vegetables, something that will outlast him and provide some use. I'm gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It's the only dream you can have - to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I'm gonna win it for him. Happy, Requiem This shows that Happy has become the idealist, while Biff is leaving town to start over as a man who accepts his mediocrity. But now Happy has the urge to try, to become something. Perhaps he will succeed - but more likely, he too will fail. Willy did die in vain, and Happy cannot change that. I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!

Willy, Act II Biff has just cried that he is a dime a dozen, and so is his father. Willy refuses to believe this, cannot believe this. He and his sons must be special. The Lomans must stand out from the pack. All of Willy's feelings of self-worth and identity come from doing better than the next guy, and to realize that he is no different than anyone else would be to realize that his life was false.

Question: What is the name of Willy Loman’s son in the play ‘Death of a Salesman’ by Arthur Miller?
Answer: Biff